Rachel, a 20-year-old woman living with a degenerative, neurological condition called Friedreich’s Ataxia, is wheelchair dependent and requires total custodial care for mobility. Her family’s home has a six-step entry, making something as seemingly simple as leaving and entering her house incredibly difficult.

Despite the good news that the family’s landlord granted permission to install a metal ramp at the entry, the family couldn’t afford to have it built. That’s when the family’s social worker, affiliated with St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital, reached out to Julia’s Butterfly Foundation for the necessary money. Funds in the amount of $3,430 were approved for the ramp, and the family is looking forward to something most of us take for granted—easy access into and out of their home.

Ishani is an 11-year-old girl enduring a seizure disorder & profound developmental delays. The needs of chronically ill children place an undue financial burden on any family, but especially on low income families like Ishani’s. These burdens can force families to decide between treatment and meeting basic needs. Ishani’s family was at risk of having their utilities cut off due to lack of payment.

The family’s social worker, affiliated with St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital, advocated on behalf of the family and requested $1500 so that they could pay PSE&G. Julia’s Butterfly Foundation granted the request, keeping the family’s power secure in the home.

Sean is an 11-year old boy diagnosed with Spastic Dystonic Quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy, which renders him dependent for all of his self-care needs and mobility. But Sean is an intelligent young man who desperately wants to interact and communicate with the world around him.

Unfortunately, he is unable to effectively control his body, and therefore isn’t able to access a keyboard or joystick. Sean’s doctor believed he could benefit immensely from a Tobii CEye, a communication device operated by eye movements. The device wasn’t covered by insurance, so the family’s social worker, affiliated with The Children’s Therapy Center, reached out to Julia’s Butterfly for help. We provided the 2020 necessary to empower Sean with the ability to connect with his environment.